Tens of thousands of Bears fans will be flocking to Soldier Field Saturday, with attendance at the wild-card game expected to reach nearly 61,000.
That’s more than the Dec. 20 game versus the Green Bay Packers with 60,152 people — the Bear’s highest-attended game since 2015, according to the NFL’s Chicago Bears Football Club.
Here’s what to expect with parking, food and the NFL’s official Bears stores at Soldier Field.
Parking will be tight
The parking rates at Millennium and Grant Park garages and McCormick Place range from about $39 to $70 on game day, according to the Bears website.
Parking app SpotHero said the average price for parking near Soldier Field is around $50. Parking rates are up 12% in the area during the playoffs, compared to the regular season.
Parking app ParkWhiz has seen a 37% surge in search volume for Bears parking this week, compared to regular Bears games earlier this season.
Parking rates range from $60 for premium spaces near the stadium to $25 for budget-friendly locations within a 20-minute walk, as of Friday afternoon, ParkWhiz said.
“We expect that demand to peak in the critical 24 to 48 hours before kickoff,” said Ryan Kern, vice president and general manager of events at Flash, owner of ParkWhiz.
More bus and subway service
The Chicago Transit Authority has scheduled extra service on Saturday for the #146 and #128 bus lines, as well as more service on the Red Line after the game.
On game days, the CTA generally sees 6,000 additional riders at the Roosevelt L station and 2,000 more rides on the #146 and #128 bus lines. Normally, there are about 8,000 riders on those bus lines and the Roosevelt station.
This season, the CTA’s top ridership Bears game with 9,000 riders was when they played the New York Giants last year on Nov. 9. That game was among the more economical ticket prices this season, the CTA said. Transit ridership on game days is typically higher when tickets are inexpensive and/or when there is extreme weather, the CTA said.
Blankets in high demand
Sales at official Bears stores at Soldier Field are up 25% overall this season, and up nearly 200% on nongame days, the Chicago Bears Football Club said. In addition to jerseys, top-selling products include team blankets, Bears logo necklaces and Bears baby mascot stuffed animals.
The main official store at Soldier Field is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1410 Special Olympics Dr.
Bears merchandise is in high demand across the board. Since clinching the National Football Conference North title, the Bears are the top-selling team across all sports, according to Fanatics’ e-commerce sites, which includes Fanatics.com, NFLShop.com and the team’s official site Store.ChicagoBears.com. The Bears are also the top-selling team across sports, since the start of December.
Since the start of the NFL’s regular season, the Bears have seen a 60% spike in merchandise sales compared to last year, according to Chicago Bears Football Club. Bears playoff products currently account for five of the top 10 selling products across Fanatics’ sites.
The five bestselling products are:
- Nike Chicago Bears 2025 NFC North Division Champions Locker Room Trophy Collection T-Shirt at $44.99
- Chicago Bears 2025 NFC North Division Champions Conquer T-Shirt at $41.99
- New Era Chicago Bears 2025 NFC North Division Champions Locker Room Trophy Collection 9FORTY hat at $37.99
- Nike Chicago Bears 2025 NFC North Division Champions Locker Room Trophy Collection hoodie at $89.99
- ’47 Chicago Bears 2025 NFC North Division Champions Clean Up hat at $37.99
Malört hot chocolate
Food prices at Soldier Field will not increase on Saturday, according to Levy Restaurants, which manages food and beverage for Bears home games. There will be early bird discounts from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. that include $4.99 hot dogs and $3.99 popcorn.
The “Chicago-Style Hot Chocolate,” which debuted at the stadium in December, will be available for Saturday’s game. It features Jeppson’s Malört and Amaretto, topped with toasted salted caramel marshmallows from XO Marshmallow for $17.99, in time for the return of colder weather on Saturday.
